Abstract

Introduction and Background

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the growth and popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) amongst professionals and within the public. Acupuncture, acupressure and acustimulation, adapted from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is believed to provide therapeutic effects for many suffering from nausea and vomiting symptoms when applied to the „Pericardium 6‟ (PC6) acupoint.

Review question and Method

The present systematic review examined the following research question; “What research is available regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture and/or acupressure in reducing the symptoms of nausea and vomiting in adult patients?”

The electronic search of CINAHL and MEDLINE (OVID) databases was conducted through the eLibrary Gateway of the University of Nottingham. It began in August 2010 in the form of the preliminary search. The final search was carried out in December 2010.

Key words were combined into a formal search strategy. Once identified, the retrieved studies were then filtered through a stringent inclusions/exclusion criteria. A total of 10 studies were included in this review; their data were extracted, analysed and synthesised in the form of a narrative summary.

Results

The included studies were grouped according to the cause of nausea and vomiting. Group 1 included four studies which investigated into PONV and nausea and vomiting associated with anaesthesia, their findings suggest acupuncture, acupressure and acustimulation as an effective method of treatment. Group 2 investigated nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy, and also concluded acupressure as effective. Group 3 investigated nausea and vomiting induced by a cause or treatment, their findings indicate acupressure as an effective method of treatment for nausea and vomiting symptoms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, acupuncture, and its associated therapies, such as acupressure and acustimulation are effective methods of treatment for nausea and vomiting symptoms for adult patients in a variety of settings.